Whether you go to a company like Shakespeare Communications (www.shakespearecomms.com) or do it yourself, having good PR is vital for your company. This is why at Fish, the only thing that we’re as passionate about as public relations is Netflix (and Hulu, and HBO Go, and Showtime Anytime….we don’t discriminate). If our beloved streaming platform debuts a new show on Friday, by Monday we’re all ready to dissect and share our thoughts in the Fish office Skype chat. Needless to say, we’re well-versed on all of the most popular TV sensations, and one of our more recent favorites is Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, which premiered on January 1st (timed perfectly for those of us who woke up on New Years Day with a splitting headache and a desire to immediately get our lives together in 2019). Kondo originally shared her unique organization methods with the world through her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which was released in 2015. However, while the book is great and worth a read, it translated equally as well to the small screen.
If you’re not familiar with the show, here’s a brief overview courtesy of Vox. The level of mess varies from episode to episode. Some people are borderline hoarders, while others simply don’t quite know how to organize their stuff. Kondo doesn’t judge, and in her willingness to treat the things we buy as an extension of our deeper, more spiritual selves, she finds a weird antidote to capitalism run amok. Tidying Up is a show that simultaneously acknowledges that you can never fill the void inside of you with more stuff, but also that you’ve tried to do so before, and letting go of previous attempts can be tough emotional labor.
Working in a PR agency means we’re constantly juggling multiple accounts, and being successful without losing your mind requires being extremely organized. So while Tidying Up is technically about helping people tidy up their homes, I put together a list of the most practical tips that can be applied to the day-to-day lives of PR pros. Without further ado…
- Does it spark joy? Even if you haven’t seen the show, you’re probably familiar with Kondo’s signature tagline. Although a lot of people (and memes) make fun of this question, I find it super helpful. Even something as simple as a pencil holder or a notebook can bring you joy, and if it doesn’t then toss it and don’t think twice.
- More storage isn’t the solution. When we moved into our new office, our fancy new desks had a ton of storage space, which I figured meant I would be extra organized, but that actually wasn’t the case. “Putting things away creates the illusion that the clutter problem has been solved,” Kondo writes. “But sooner or later, all the storage units are full, the room once again overflows with things, and some new and ‘easy’ storage” method becomes necessary, creating a negative spiral. … We need to exercise self-control and resist storing our belongings until we have finished identifying what we really want and need to keep.”
- It’s OK to get rid of gifts. Working in PR means we get a ton of holiday gifts, conference swag, branded items from clients…the list goes on and on. There’s no reason to clutter our desks by feeling obligated to hang on to these things for years.
- Think about getting rid of books you aren’t going to read or reread. Twitter/the internet had A LOT of feelings about this one, and as an avid book reader initially I agreed. However, when I decided to apply some of these tips to organizing my workspace, I discovered that I had not one, not two, not three, but SEVEN planners – 90% of which were unused. While we don’t all keep a library of books at our desks, this tip can still be applied to those of us who are hoarding notebooks and planners. One is enough!
